Barcelona raises water bills due to long-running drought

FILE PHOTO: Tourists walk while fishermen collect fish from the Sau reservoir next to the church of the village of San Roman de Sau which was partially submerged and re-emerged as the reservoir dropped to its lowest level since 1990 due to extreme drought in Catalonia, near Vic, Spain March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Water bills will rise sharply in Barcelona and neighbouring cities due to a long-running drought in Spain's northeast as the costs of desalination and water purification rise, the Barcelona Metropolitan Area said on Tuesday.

Bills will increase by 11-16% in 23 municipalities, including Spain's second-largest city.